For the love of all that is holy, please hire a professional editor before self-publishing!

This is a guest post by Richard White

In all the time I’ve been a reader – which is as long as I can remember – I’ve always looked up to publishing companies. In my mind, these companies knew all there was to know about the English language – how to use punctuation, correct spelling, grammar, structure, and so on. When I graduated university, I undertook an internship in a publishing company to learn the ropes and better my own understanding, which I hoped to bring to the table in my job as a freelance writer and editor. My internship strengthened my respect of publishing companies, especially as it removed the glamorous sheen and showed me the day-to-day hard work that is involved when getting a book to market.

Times have changed a lot in recent years, though, and thanks to eReaders like the Kindle everyone thinks they’re an author and a publisher. This is fine to a degree; by taking control of our own work we can ensure it gets out there for people to read. The flipside of this is that people can jump into it headfirst and put out books that should frankly be considered a first draft.

I recently finished reading a book, the title of which I will keep to myself, in which the low level of quality detracted from the stellar content within. I learned years ago that every published book has flaws, such as the odd grammar error, spelling mistake or formatting issue. Sadly, the book in question took it to another level, filled with spelling mistakes, continuity problems (having one spelling on one page, and a different spelling on the next), spaces before commas, misspelt names, and so on. From start to finish it was an amateur production.

As an editor myself, I’m aware that I spot more mistakes in books than the average reader. That’s not a problem; in fact, it’s the sole reason editors exist in the first place. But this book was so littered with problems that I genuinely think it would ruin – to some extent at least – the reading experience for the majority of its readers.

This brings me back to my first point about publishing companies. This book was not released by Harper Collins or Random House; rather, it was published by a company I had never heard of. The book’s notes state that the author of the book started the company. Full credit goes to this author for not just releasing his book on the Kindle but being ambitious enough to start a publishing house. However, he hit a common and major trap: skimping on the editorial process. Nothing screams ‘unprofessional’ more than poor editing, and it’s an issue plagued most by independent authors and small publishing companies. Why? Largely because of cost restraints; I’ve lost track of the number of writers who have asked me for a quote to edit their manuscript and then told me they can’t afford a very modest and fair cost. So instead, many of these people turn to very cheap – and inexperienced – editors, or just do it themselves. The upshot of this is a clear decline in quality of published works, which really doesn’t help the reputation of independent authors whatsoever.

Small publishing companies are increasingly common nowadays too, with more and more people being inspired enough to try to change the industry. Great, I’m all for that. But the first and most important lesson for anyone involved in literature – authors or publishers –is not to overlook the editor. The editor is the person (or people) who will take your manuscript from a first draft to a professional standard fit for public consumption. While the question is often ‘can I afford an editor?’ the answer is ‘you can’t afford not to have an editor’. If you cut the initial cost of hiring an editor, you run the very real risk of alienating readers. No one wants to part with their hard-earned cash for something that is amateur. It will leave a bad taste in their mouth, and they may not buy your future offerings. A good reputation takes a long time to build, but not nearly as long as reversing a bad one.

About this post's author:

I am a (ghost)writer, editor and proofreader. I have been published in the Guardian, appeared on television and radio, including BBC 2's Jeremy Vine show. I am the author of Smoke Screens: The Truth About Tobacco, available on Amazon, and am currently ghostwriting two books, one fiction and one non-fiction. My website is www.wordedit.org and I am on Twitter as @richwhite08

While I agree with you that every writer should invest in a professional editor, I feel I should also play the devil’s advocate. Because many indie authors (especially if they are just starting out) really can’t afford to pay more or less $800 (often more) for a professional editor. And , if, somehow, they find that kind of money, they prefer to spend it on a really kick ass cover art.

All the mistakes you mention from the book you’ve read could very easily be fixed by self-editing or sending it to a proofreader (a friend can do that sort of job for free).

I guess what I’m saying is that while every book should be edited and proofread and edited again, it’s not exactly necessary to spend a fortune on an editor, especially if you’re just starting out.

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Richard White

Hi Jane, while it’s true to say that the cost of an edit can exceed the budget of many, it isn’t impossible. Like many editors, I often run promotional discounts and am always willing to break a payment up into instalments – even if the instalments continue after the work is completed.

Sadly, the mistakes a friend would find are not the same a professional would find. I know this in part because many of the manuscripts that I edit have been looked over by friends and family already. The fact is those outside of the profession don’t necessarily now what they’re looking for – is that semi-colon appropriate or should it be a colon? Should that title be in quote marks or italics? Is 1.5cm too deep for a paragraph indent? Those are just a few examples, but even the more basic things like misspelling a name can be overlooked because people who don’t have to read in-depth all too often aren’t entirely sure what they’re looking for. My editorial skills now far surpass what they were when I started out, as is true for everyone.

A great cover is indeed important, but i wouldn’t say more important. Why? I’ve read books that have a bad cover, and it doesn’t detract from the content. The content is what has your name and abilities stamped onto it, and ultimately what gives your reputation.

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Anna Jones Buttimore

I’ve had five novels traditionally published, but I still hired a private editor for my third one. The publishers said it was “clean enough” not to require a full edit, but I disagreed. I spent £500 but it was well worth it for my peace of mind. I haven’t made that money back in royalties yet, but that’s OK, it’s worth it not to have something out there with my name on the cover and filled with mistakes.

Of course not have self-published (yet) I don’t know what things like cover art cost, or the cost of self publishing itself. I can see that it might tighten the budget, especially if you don’t know whether you’ll ever make that money back.

Here Here! It’s a mantra! Hire an editor – Hire an editor – Hire an editor. As someone who can barely spell her own name most days I am in full support of this. I wish I could have someone edit every blog entry I put up too. The money is definitely an issue, but I can’t think of anything more essential to spend that cash on. The range of editors I’ve found is broad, so it takes time to find the right one and to make sure the editor you hire focuses on what you need. They are people like the rest of us and some are better at some things than others.

I’ve had friends edit and I self edit and it is simply not the same. A trained editor will find things beyond the simple comma exclusion and make your work polished and professional. Why bother publishing if you aren’t going to take it seriously. Unfortunately, editing is a very easy thing for folks to attack Indies for. Better to head them off at the pass than look like a hack.

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Jamie

Why does it make me angry. . .I hate folks who come off as pompous. . Sorry but it sounds as though he (and others) thinks you ought not to self publish if you can’t afford to hire an editor.
All of my books have been edited by professionals while I was enrolled in a Masters Program (Professional Writing). So some of them were actually for real editors – some at very large publishing houses. But realistically now that I’m finished and on my own this is not a luxury I can easily afford. I have a professional editor working on something I’m in the middle of but I’m having to rob Peter to pay Paul in order to do it.
I’d better stop here before I say something I shouldn’t.

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Richard White

Jamie, to address your first point, I probably do think one shouldn’t self-publish if getting an editor is out of the question. However, it’s not a case of snobbery i.e. “If you can’t afford an afford don’t write”, my first book was edited for free because I was a poor student and we negotiated a deal. My article isn’t at all about prices or money, but the end-result. What I’m advocating is a maintaining of high standards of literature – it’s all well and good that everyone can now release their own work, but we need to ensure that it is good quality writing that is hitting the market. This isn’t about taste of course, i’m not suggesting only the best stories are released, but that what’s written is written well. Do i think it’s a good idea for books littered with typos and mistakes to be released to the public, for a charge? No, i don’t. And judging from your comment it seems you agree that editors are necessary, and are more focusing on the cost to the author. That is a concern for many, but as i stated above, cost is negotiable.

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Breeana Puttroff

Jamie — I don’t think anyone is saying there’s a certain amount of money an author needs to spend, or that there aren’t reasonable solutions, but I don’t think it’s pompous to say you shouldn’t self publish without investing in the minimum requirements.

Nobody says it’s pompous when someone wants a doctor who’s paid for medical school. And a licensing fee. And malpractice insurance. And the electric bill for her office.

Nobody says it’s pompous when someone doesn’t take their child to a childcare provider who can’t afford to buy food to feed the kids lunch (and the food has to be there before the kids are — paid for in advance, just like editing).

Even fast food workers generally have to fork over for a certain kind of clothes or shoes, dictated by a company policy.

If you are publishing a book, and asking people to PAY MONEY for that, it’s a business. And there are upfront costs to doing business. For a writer, one of those costs, is editing, however they pay for it, in cash, trade, or whatever.

Some writers think the work of editing is simply polishing up the book to avoid embarrassing mistakes of spelling and punctuation. Wrong. Editing is part of the creative process. We all do it, even on the first draft. Punctuation helps create the rhythm of the story. It’s not a hood ornament.

Furthermore, writers must realize their book is not the work of a solitary genius. Oh, the original story theme might be ours, but after that, the more people involved, the better the book.

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Lisa McCourt Hollar

There are options to paying for editing. When I first started self publishing to kindle, I made a lot of mistakes. Self editing is one. I am dyslexic. How I thought I could catch my own errors, I don’t know. But having a friend isn’t always a good option either. I sent a short story I published at Christmas to 4 friends, who were all authors. Only one pointed out a few errors, which I fixed. Then the reviews started coming in. Great story. Talented author. Terrible editing. I did what I should have done in the first place. Took it down and sent it to a friend that is a professional editor. SHe had offered to edit for me for free on many occasions, and on a few I took her up on it, but felt guilty. I don’t want to give my writing away for free, why should I take her work for free? But there is a great option in the indie world. Trade. There are a lot of editors that may be willing to edit for free, in exchange for their name on your book AND referals. Same with cover art. And when I have to spend the money, like I did on my last short story, look at it as a business expense. It might be difficult in the short term, but in the long run, it will pay off. IMO.

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Kira

I have an editor for my personal work, but that’s not to say that I stop editing it myself. Before sending your work to an editor, you should always reread your project and make sure it’s crisp. The editor will catch more that way, believe it or not, because they can focus less on the grammar and more on the content, character, structure, and making your book shine. As NP’s Editorial Lead, I can’t stress it enough–find and use an editor.

Even the Big Six miss things now and again. No matter how often you look over a literary work, something is going to fall through the cracks. We’re all human; we all miss and make mistakes, but the more eyes on your work, the better. Various smaller houses are known for having quite a few mistakes in their releases. It’s not good, and I admit, reading something with errors makes me a little sick (even some of my favorite books by big-name authors have serious errors). However, that is by no means an excuse not to hire an editor.

Writing is a *career*. I can’t stress this enough. If you’re a writer, you’re working to build a career, not make a quick buck. Your first book is your resume. A few people might pick it up, but not many will at first. As they read it, they’re interviewing you to see if you are worth their time, money, and interest. If you pass the interview, great! Usually that only happens with an editor.

Keep in mind that a few mistakes here and there will be nitpicked to death if you ePublish. Why? Because readers are angry about the number of unedited, poorly written manuscripts flooding the eMarket. I suggest standing out from the crowd by having an editor review your work and clean it up. Then if someone points out a mistake, don’t think of it as, “I wasted money, and for what? The editor still messed up!” Think of it as, “Wow, even with three sets of eyes, we missed that. Thank you, avid reader, for taking time out of your day to help me improve my work!” Because at that point, the reader *is* taking time from his or her day to help you out.

Some people have had bad experiences with editors. I understand that. It is my goal to turn their opinion around. I want to help every writer put their most professional foot forward. Next time you think of self-publishing a book, think of the sales and of your passion. You wouldn’t send your resume out if it had errors all over the place, so why do the same with your manuscript?

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Richard White

Excellent comment Kira, thank you. That was pretty much the point i’ve been trying to make lately – your book is your resume. If nothing else, it’s your name and reputation on that book and on the line, and it’s the content of that book that will make readers stick with your subsequent releases or go elsewhere. Sure they have to like the story itself, but it needs to be well presented too.

Honestly, I can’t understand why people spend months or even years writing a book, and then blow it at the last hurdle because they don’t get an editor and a proofreader involved.
I know that many people will complain that they can’t afford it – but they should take a look at what they are spending their money on.
How much goes on other hobbies? Video games? DVD’s and Blu Rays? Booze and Cigarettes?
You get the idea.
My novel was workshopped, chapter by chapter in a writing group, then I did two run through’s myself before I shipped it off to my beta readers. Then it went to a pro editor, and a pro proofreader after that.
There were still enough errors pointed out to me after release that I had to put a second edition out a month later.
No author can self edit properly. If Stephen King can’t do it, then people should accept that they aren’t going to be able to do it either.
Crappy, amateurish ebooks are giving the self publishing industry a bad name, and all it takes to sort it out is a little planning and saving up to cover the cost of getting an editor involved.

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Kimberly Kinrade

Hiring an editor is perhaps one of the most important things an indie author can do for their career. I have read too many books that suffered the fate of poor editing and weak prose. A great editor doesn’t just fix the obvious errors and punctuation; a great editor also strengthens the prose and overall story. They are trained for this and it’s part of the process of publishing that can’t be skimped on or skipped over. Other friends, even other authors, just aren’t enough.

I’ve been a professional editor, and still work in the capacity on occasion, and I would never do the final edit for my own work. I self-edit before submitting to my editor, of course. No one should submit a rough draft to a professional editor. But that self-edit is not enough. Neither are the edits of other professional authors and friends who beta read and edit for me. My work still has to go through the stringent editing of my editor… and my work is so much stronger for it.

I recently interviewed John Locke and his single biggest piece of advice to indie authors was *Get an editor.* He also said this advice usually makes indie authors mad.

It can be cost-prohibitive, but really, authors are hurting their career by NOT getting professionals to edit their work. One of the reasons I ended up signing with Evolved Publishing rather than self-publishing after my first book was because I couldn’t afford a great editor and I refused to publish my work without one. Evolved offered a unique business structure, creative control, high royalties and–most importantly–the best editing!

My point is, there are ways to get published if you are a broke author looking to break in. Publishing work without editing shouldn’t be one of them.

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Jo

I just read your blog post and it took me back to when I finished Why Whisper with a 500 page count and knew… I needed an editor. I searched the net and decided to hire one who advertised in Writer’s Digest who placed an ad there. Since I had a sort of respect for that mag, I felt safe. He charged $7000 dollars and I sent him the ms. Waiting a few weeks, hearing nothing from him, I contacted him and then the fun began. Every few weeks he would contact me and ask a few irrelevant questions and I wanted so much to believe this man was credible. After 7 months he sent me my ms minus all but 120 pages. My book was a skeleton of misspellings and the bones of the book were broken. I asked him to explain and he disappeared. He had no concept of the topic, which was suicide grief. It took 2 years to trust again. I rewrote the book and hired another editor who charged me $2000 dollars and did exactly what I expected Mr Editor to do. He only succeeded in stealing $7000 dollars. I say beware with a capital B. I’d love to tell you his name but I won’t do that here.

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Richard White

Ouch, sorry for your bad experience. Unfortunately like any business where money is handed over, there are no shortage of fake editors. They crop up frequently on sites like Elance and undercut experienced editors by a huge margin, quoting such a low price that people cannot sustain a living on but is attractive to the person hiring.

A piece of advice for the future is not to hand over all the money upfront just in case that happens. The way i work is either take 50% upfront and 50% upon completion, or 20% instalments. This obviously gives me the incentive to complete the work (and do as job a good as i am able) so i get paid and get a reference, but it also reassures the client that i’m not just after the money. If they’re not happy with the first part of the work they don’t pay the next instalment until i have redone the work to a standard they want. This has only happened with one client back when i first started out, but i hold the same work ethic – if someone is paying me, i treat them with as much respect as i would want shown to me if it were my money being handed over, and that means redoing the work as many times as is necessary to get it perfect.

What i’m trying to say is it’s safer to find an editor who doesn’t charge everything upfront and is willing to go back and do it again until you’re happy.

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Jo

Thank you Richard. Yes, I learned so much as a first time author. As I entered an industry I knew nothing about (how do you spell “green”) I felt insecure about the writing, but not the story. My book is a memoir, I had something to say and needed to say it. I am not a writer. I knew that. I am, however, an avid reader and when I read a book I always saw more than the story. I saw the writing style of every author. I let the singers sing while I enjoy the art and am grateful and respectful of the talents I don’t have. Which is precisely why I knew an editor was necessary in order for me to craft a book with years of journal entries. Fortunately, I could afford to pay an editor $7000 dollars. I never bartered. I thought that was a normal fee. The ms was clean. I labored for a year over it before I hired that editor.

When I learned more and hired the second editor I applied your counsel. Payments were made in installments and it went along seamlessly. She was brilliant and improved the book. Consider me educated.

I’ll probably never write another book in my lifetime. I salute all writers. Now I understand that people don’t *JUST* write a book. It is a laborious process and a lonely tunnel of fits and starts; not to mention sleepless nights. Every sentence has arms and legs. I’d rather chew nails and stick pencils in my eyes than write another book! I love books. I’d hang them on my windows instead of drapes if I could. Right now there are three books dogeared on my end table. God Bless the writers.

Bottom line: Richard is right. As I just posted on FB, this is tough because indie writers are often driven by low or no budgets. But proper editing is CRUCIAL (I’ve had to quit reading a # of free ebooks or samples and won’t buy until the sample proves to be readable), and poor or no editing in one indie book hurts the reputation and credibility of ALL of us indie writers. We’re fortunate to have an old editor in our partnership to complement the creative genius, but I am stymied when it comes to a solution for those who cannot afford an editor. As a former editor, I sometimes accepted GREAT writing poorly edited because I knew I could fix it. And I’m sure some publishers do this (but I don’t recommend counting on it!!). So what DOES an indie writer, however brilliant with words, do without an editor??? Hope to attract readers who don’t know better, either? Sad to say, in today’s texting world, there are probably readers who care only if they can follow the plot!?? Again, I don’t recommend counting on it! So I repeat: Richard is right.

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John Corwin

The problem is, I think a lot of authors think that writing a book is solely defined by art and the business side of the equation never enters into it.

Thing is, your book is a representation of your abilities to the world.

Would you show up to a job interview dressed in a wife-beater and ratty cargo shorts? I would, but then again, I’m a badass and not everyone can pull that off.

Anyway, when people read a poorly edited book, it’s a turnoff. You might be super attractive, but if you have terrible breath on a bad date, you might not get a second date.

Writing a book is art. Selling a book is business.

So if you want to sell a book, you have to invest more than the time you spent writing it.

I suggest polishing a book first with beta readers, then with a content editor, and finally, after one more go with beta readers (if you made significant changes with the content editor) then add a final coat of polish with a proofreader.

Now you’re free to market the heck out of that book and try to sell it.

Otherwise, your book’s typos/grammar errors/etc. may just be the bad breath that deprives you of that second date should you write a sequel.

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Camille Gooderham Campbell

Having the option to self-publish is a good thing, but in choosing it, one takes on *all* the roles and responsibilities that a publisher would otherwise carry.

Not everyone is suited to become a self-publisher, and not everyone can afford to self-publish properly. If you can’t afford professional editing and proofreading and cover art, you might be a good candidate to partner with a small publisher who can bring those things to the table for you (and the same goes for authors who are unable or unwilling to do the grunt-work of self-promotion).

It seems slightly unreasonable to want all the best bits of being a publisher (all the rights and rewards, that is) without accepting the associated costs and risks.

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Emily Ann Selden

I love this post, you are spot on. Editing is beyond important. I am astounded at how I was considered good in my creative writing class. I am not good, it is next to impossible to edit your own material. When my novels are ready for release I will definitely be shopping them to publishing houses, because I want an editor.

However, even if I self-publish I will have editors, proofreaders, whatever it takes to have a polished and well-written work. There are no excuses and, really, no second chances.

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Kimberly Kinrade

I have to disagree with you here. No author, no matter how great at self-editing–even authors who are also professional editors of other people’s work–should be the only editor of their own work.

It’s not just about making sure it’s technically correct. Sure, a few authors can polish their work to the point where there are very few typos and technical mistakes, but great editors do so much more than that.

A great editor assesses the content and makes sure the flow of the story, plot, climaxes, character arches and pacing are all as strong as possible. They also help polish and strengthen the prose of the book; dialogue, dialogue tags, sentence and paragraph structure, paragraph and chapter breaks, word choice and passive vs. active language and more. For this, every author needs a second or third eye for critique… a trained eye with proven skill in these areas.

Yes, every author should become proficient at editing their own work, then they should turn their work over to a skilled editor who can help take their book to the next level and make it great.

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Francine Howarth Author

Hi Richard,

I’m happy to take issue on the big three (publishers) and editorial skills. As a book reviewer in my spare time I receive books straight from the publishers, admittedly, most are pre-publish proofs devoid of pictorial cover, which forces a reviewer into making exceptions for grammatical errors, typo hiccups and other niggling mishaps. Sadly, when one finally sits down to read the end product purely for enjoyment, there’s not only a glorious cover image there’s a glowing blurb alongside snippets taken from review write-ups! Now this is where the “hit” comes, for the mistakes seen in pre-publish copies are often as not still there in the published edition and no one noticed.

I can pick books from my shelves published in the 1950-60- early 70s and demonstrate editorial skills at publishing houses as second to none. By the 80s editorial blips appear with frequency, by the 90s one wonders who edited what: if at all. By 2000, well, where did the editors receive their education? I don’t want to go into to great detail about changes in social patterns and how during the 80s cop-out art-farty subjects became in Vogue for uni degree status, but when shit hits a fan it spreads. Similarly recruitment levels dropped within publishing houses in the late 90s, in part accountable to cutbacks, mergers et., but the major factor being that of “incompetence reaches its own level”.

Take several incidents of a mere secretary employed for her touch-typing skills yet finds her/himself promoted to submissions editor. Wow, and a couple of years thence to junior editor, proceeding to editor and finally, on “time-served” plus overt enthusiasm and abundance of confidence, Bingo the big jolly of Senior Editor/Editorial Director. In some cases, once declared an editor that once upon a time secretary seeks higher status elsewhere. The rudiments of editing having washed over her/him. After all, they are now what they are, aren’t they (?), a talented editor.

Second hit: there are self-published Kindle novels/authors out there whom not only put many best-selling authors to shame on plot structuring, fabulous character profiling and good formatting, their editing skills are not half bad either and on a par if not better than many books coming out of the big three! 😉

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Kyle Becker

I would argue that the best reason to hire or acquire an editor to review one’s novel is not to proofread for the nuts and bolts basics, but to check if one’s plot is internally consistent, has a discernible arc (or a consistent “voice”), isn’t unnecessarily burdened with tedious trivium or lacking in vigor.

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Wanetta

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